HC asks IOA to observe Sports Ministry's norms for its polls

The Delhi High Court today asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to conduct the upcoming polls for its office bearers as per the National Sports Development Code which virtually bars administrators like Suresh Kalmadi from contesting it.

"The Indian Olympic Association is to hold the elections observing the National Sports Development Code," said a bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw.

The code, framed by the Union Sports Ministry, provides that a person cannot contest elections for the post of president of any sports body after turning 70.

It also stipulates that a person can continue as IOA president for 12 years and bars him from running the poll for more than thrice.

Sports administrator like Suresh Kalmadi, who has been the IOA president for over 18 years will not be able to run the poll for the premier sporting body posts.

The court, which was hearing a batch of applications filed by lawyer Rahul Mehra on the issue, has now fixed the matter for hearing on October 15.

During the hearing, Mehra submitted that the elections for various posts of the IOA is likely to be held in October this year and there was every likelihood that sports administrators like Kalmadi may flout the National Sports Development Code to get re-elected.